The United States will suspend all flight and oil embargo against Yugoslavia if "free elections" are held in that country, said US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on November 3.

Analysts believe that the move indicates a change of the US strategy on Yugoslavia by delinking the step-down of Serbian leader Milosevic and the removal of sanctions against the country.

Earlier in the year, the Clinton administration repeatedly said the sanctions will not be lifted so long as Milosevic remains in power.

Albright also announced a series of steps to provide support for the opposition in Yugoslavia, a move strongly criticized by Belgrade.

"First, in cooperation with our allies, we will evaluate the EU's pilot project.... This project will provide energy assistance to the opposition-controlled cities of Nis and Pirot before possible expansion to other municipalities," Albright said at the State Department.

Albright made the remarks with the presence of a few of opposition leaders in Yugoslavia including Zoran Djindjic, leader of the Democratic Party.

"We will be watching closely to see if the assistance actually gets to the intended recipients in the manner proposed," Albright added.

The Clinton administration vowed to provide every support for the opposition in Yugoslavia to topple the current government of that country.

The US has allocated some 11.8 million U.S. dollars to the opposition since July, Albright said.

The secretary also said that the United States will support suspending the flight ban and oil embargo as soon as "free elections" are held in Serbia.

"Finally, we will consult with Congress and discuss with our European partners and other donors the scope of external assistance that could be made available after free elections have been held and a new government is in place," Albright noted.

Reports from Belgrade said Goran Matic, Yugoslavia's federal information minister, immediately criticized the US move.

"Since those so-called opposition leaders will have less than 1 percent of the votes in Serbia, it seems that Washington is trying to prepare a jackass to win the horse races," an Associated Press report quoted Matic as saying.

"It would be better for Washington to stop with its interfering in Yugoslav internal affairs and to abandon plans for overthrowing legally elected leadership of our country," he stressed.

The US-led NATO conducted a 78-day air bombing of Yugoslavia early this year to force Belgrade to withdraw its troops from its own province Kosovo. Thousands were killed and many facilities were destroyed.

Meanwhile, the US and its allies also imposed an arms and economic embargo against Serbia.